The EU must be able to impose sanctions on member-states who go on solo runs in the area of foreign policy, the National Forum on Europe was told at a meeting in Limerick last night.
Speaking at the latest public meeting of the National Forum on Europe, Munster MEP Mr John Cushnahan added: "If we had an effective deterrent it might pressurise the decision-making process of the EU and result in a very effective foreign policy that members would not oppose."
Mr Cushnahan pointed out that sanctions operate in other areas of EU policy but not in the area of foreign policy.
He said the EU was in disarray over the issue of Iraq and he said there was a need to get away from decisions on foreign policy by the inter-governmental conference that often result in decisions made by the lowest common denominator.
Mr Cushnahan said: "What I would like to see in relation to forming an effective EU foreign policy is a qualified majority vote process. This will allow the EU form foreign policy decisions in a much shorter period of time and this will be much more effective. Currently it takes too long and, as a result, the foreign policy is ineffectual."
At the public meeting at the University of Limerick, the Minister of State for European Affairs, Mr Dick Roche, said it was not the Irish Government's aim to strive for superpower status for the EU. "Superpower status is not and should never be part of EU ambitions," he said.
At the meeting Mr Roche outlined a number of core principles the Irish Government believed should form part of an enlarged EU.He said there should be no new EU institution formed as "the creation of permanent new institutions could upset the existing careful balance in the EU". Mr Roche said the Council of Ministers, when acting in legislative mode, should be open to the public.
He said the Government along with small and medium-sized member-states is anxious to protect the right of each member-state to nominate one member to the Commission.
Mr Roche said the Government believes there should be an enhanced EU parliament role including a further extension in the legislative field.
Addressing the work of the Convention for Europe, Mr Roche said: "If the constitution is to be truly acceptable and be a readable document, it must avoid overblown language or excessive content. If ever there was an occasion when less is best, this is it."
Mr Roche conceded that the current absence of a single text to allow citizens to know who does what in the EU has resulted in the opening of a dangerous gap between the EU and its people.
He said: "This is not an acceptable basis on which to proceed on any political project, particularly one as unique and ambitious as the European Union. We cannot afford to take our citizens for granted or to leave our people behind."
